Tag Archives: success

For both students and parents, High School graduation is a time of remembrance and of celebration – A backward glance at accomplishments, friendships, and a measure of innocence lost. A reflection of joy, love, and sometimes pain and sorrow, amidst the realization of a journey ahead that will leave friends and mentors behind.

It is also a time of anticipation – of endless possibilities, of hope, and of uncertainty. The apprehension that comes when discarding the comfort of that which is familiar eventually succumbs to the promise of potential fulfilled and the discovery of new horizons.

To the Class of 2016, a few words of advice…

Follow that which provides fuel for your soul and provides a service to others. There will be a time in your life for compromises, but those moments can wait. Be relentless in pursuit of a life that yields no regrets. Your future depends upon it.

Your energy, enthusiasm, and optimism not yet diminished by life’s disappointments and the shortcomings of the human race, work diligently to resist the temptation to turn cynical and lose faith in the goodness of others. Our future depends upon it.

Think big and remember that greatness has been achieved time and time again by those who simply outwork those with more talent, intelligence, and skill. Failure is a given, but merely a speed bump on the road to success. Quitting is optional.

Yet in your pursuit of greatness, never forget that the measure of a life well lived is simply the sum of tens of thousands of small moments that might seem inconsequential in isolation, yet are monumental in aggregate. Every smile, gesture, compliment, word of advice or encouragement, and sacrifice for others has a ripple effect that becomes a wave.

In the end, the quality of your relationships will provide your most lasting satisfaction.

Know that you alone are responsible for your happiness. Don’t live a life based on the expectations of others, even your parents. Forgive us for wanting to guide your steps. We’d like to keep you from disappointment, heartache, and harm, but we can’t. Life’s most meaningful lessons must be lived to be learned. Besides, we don’t have all of the answers. Life at any age is a work in progress.

When you take your final breath, you’ll have to answer to yourself and your creator. Simply live a life that leads to the conclusion at that moment merely one simple thought, “Well done.”And know that you are not alone in your journey. Everyone who has achieved success owes a measure of gratitude to those who took an interest in their development along the way. We hope that we’ve lived up to your expectations and haven’t disappointed you with regard to our duty as role models. As you develop your own sense of identity you will travel your own path, but we will take pride in your footsteps.

To Michael and to the entire graduating Class of 2016 from your greatest cheerleaders, your parents – We wish you success and love, and all of the above.

The song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams is one of the most remarkable successes in music history by any metrics. It’s easy to be cynical and to criticize something that has been given so much exposure, but the truth is that this song has resonated with people in a way that few songs or artistic works of any kind have.

Here are a few things that businesses can learn from the song’s success:

1. Find the Platform for Your Product and Focus Your Efforts There:

According to Williams himself in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, efforts to get airplay and to promote the song through traditional radio went nowhere. But once the video was released, the song simply exploded. The audio simply didn’t fully convey the effect that the song had on its listeners – primarily the compelling urge to dance and move when people listened to the song.

Lesson: Businesses often spread their resources too thin by trying to cover all advertising or social media platforms. Or perhaps they stick to the platform most comfortable because of familiarity or because it’s the standard in their industry. Remember that your business and perhaps each product or service has unique qualities. For some, Pinterest is better than Facebook, and pay-per-click is better than television, but in some cases the opposite is true.

Identify your uniqueness and find the right match to deliver the message to your customers.

2. Don’t Fight the Copyright Infringers, Embrace the Opportunity

As a part-time songwriter, I don’t want to trivialize the importance of respecting copyright and intellectual property when it comes to artistic works. But when people around the world began making their own music videos dancing to the song, Pharrell Williams took great pride in his fans taking ownership of his song. There’s a quote attributed to John Lennon: “Music is everybody’s possession. It’s only publishers who think that people own it.”

Lesson: While record companies were engulfed in lawsuits over people who were ripping and sharing files copied from CDs, Apple was focused on a business model that could capitalize on the public’s appetite for the .mp3, a digital file that would make the customer’s complete music collection portable. In the information age, there will always be people who don’t play by the rules. In most cases, it’s more productive to focus your time and energy on the opportunities than the technical legalities.

3. Your Product or Service Isn’t For Everybody

At last count the official music video of “Happy” had over 400 million YouTube hits. It also has about 95,000 “dislikes” or thumbs down ratings. Everybody has different tastes, and some people are simply contrarians who refuse to embrace a pop culture phenomenon. Pharrell doesn’t seemed phased by the nay-sayers.

Lesson: Find your audience/customers and understand them. Give them what they want when and where they want it in the delivery platform or distribution channel that makes it convenient for them. And don’t let the critics ruin the experience for those who enjoy what you have to offer.

4. Let Potential Customers See How Much Fun Your Current Customers are Having

We all believe that we have the fortitude to march to our own beat and ignore what others think or say, but the truth is that we are a flock mentality. If it’s successful or popular, most of us are intrigued, and if it’s a failure (or perceived failure), we avoid it like the plague.

Lesson: Photos, videos, web testimonials – there have never been more ways to conveniently share the message that your customers love your product. Offer incentives and easy ways for your customers to share their story and experience loving your product, service, or company.

Today I embark on my 2nd half-century on the planet. With acknowledgement to all of the wonderful people who have served as my sources of education and inspiration, here are a few lessons I’ve learned from the first 50 years:

Relationships, Parenting, Family & Friends

1. FIND PEOPLE WHO SHARE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR. The 2 most important people in my life laugh at the same things that I laugh at. Everything else is easier when you have that going for you.

2. JUST BE PRESENT WHEN NEEDED. You don’t have to be perfect to be a great friend or family member (father, mother, sister, brother, aunt, uncle…) – You just have to be there. Showing up, in good times and bad, despite their shortcomings, is 80% of what they need.

3. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT. YOUR KIDS ARE WATCHING. Everything you do affects your children. If you have kids, pause and think before you act. The greatest impact you can have on the planet is raising a thoughtful, compassionate, hard-working member of the next generation.

4. LIFE MUST BE LIVED, NOT JUST TAUGHT. We want to protect our children from mistakes, failure, heartache, and pain. But in the end, we have to let them live their own lives, because amidst all of those emotions and experiences are life’s greatest lessons…But you have to live ’em to learn ’em.

5. PARENTS DON’T HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS.Children, have compassion for your parents. We are endlessly seeking answers to all of life’s questions just like you, and we don’t have as much time left to figure it out.

6. GIVE HUGS OFTEN, SAY I LOVE YOU, AND GATHER TOGETHER.I was fortunate enough to be born into an extended family that lives by those principles. If you aren’t that lucky, be the person who starts changing your family culture.

7.SUPPORT YOUR LOVED ONES’ DREAMS.

8. IF YOU FIND SOMEONE YOU LOVE WHO SUPPORTS YOUR DREAMS, HANG ON TO THEM.

9. PEOPLE ARE ASSETS, but not all have the same strengths. Don’t judge others or condescend because they don’t think, act, or achieve in the same way that you do. Everybody can operate at genius levels in some capacity (Brian Tracy), and you can learn something from everyone you meet. I’m a relatively talented musician and a decent writer, but lift the hood of my car and my sheltie and I have roughly the same chance of diagnosing the problem.

10. LET GO OF YOUR GRUDGES.That person you resent, envy, or despise isn’t wasting a moment obsessing over YOU. Holding onto those emotions is like drinking poison and hoping they get sick. Move on.

Life, Attitude, and Well-Being

11. LIFE’S SIMPLE PLEASURES ARE THE BEST.If you can’t find joy in the simple things in life, the joy you find in fancy, expensive things won’t last.

12. THIS IS THE TIME TO REMEMBER (BILLY JOEL).If I’d have known how much time I’d spend with family and friends reminiscing about and fondly remembering days gone by, I would have appreciated them more at the time. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking life will get better when I achieve this or acquire that. All we have is this moment in time.

13. LIVE CURIOUSLY.New experiences will give you a reason to look forward to tomorrow. Observations will provide a compass for finding opportunity.

14. DO SOMETHING CREATIVE EVERY DAY.Creative ability is like a muscle – it either strengthens with use or withers with inactivity. And there are few things more gratifying than creating something from your own imagination that never existed previously, whether it’s a song, a painting, or a new business.

15. KARMA IS REAL…and it can cut both ways. Treat everyone with respect. When you find yourself possessing skills and/or experiences that others on the planet are in need of, answer the call and trust that the rewards will come.

16. TAKE CHANCES. The safe choice short-term is often the dangerous choice long-term. Take chances – calculated and thoughtfully planned, but take chances.

17. BE OPTIMISTIC, BUT DON’T IGNORE THE FACTS.

18. YOU EITHER LIVE A LIFE BASED ON LOVE OR FEAR. MOVE TOWARD LOVE.Your happiness will be determined by which one controls your actions the greatest percentage of time – Love or Fear (Google “Jim Carrey commencement speech” for a more eloquent commentary, or watch the Albert Brooks movie Defending Your Life).

19. INTUITION IS A POWERFUL VOICE.Once upon a time people who followed their gut instinct or intuition were seen as “just winging it” in life. There’s a growing school of thought that intuition is your subconscious processing all of your past experiences in order to help guide you in your decisions in life. Prior to making most of the poor decisions in your life, wasn’t there usually a voice inside of you saying, “What are you doing!?” Take time to get away from the noise in your life, do a little introspection, and don’t ignore that voice of intuition.

20. IF YOU’RE ANGRY, LOOK WITHIN.That’s usually the source.

21. DON’T BE TOO PROUD TO ASK FOR HELP.If you’re suffering or engaged in destructive behaviors, reach out for help. It takes courage to suck it up, forget your past and move on. It takes greater courage to confront your issues head on and understand how your fears and insecurities are affecting you today. Scrap your pride. It’s too important to you and the people around you.

22. FOLLOW YOUR OWN DREAMS. The greatest limitations are those imaginary, psychological ones we place on ourselves when we say “I can’t.” Once you’ve made up your mind to accomplish something, every other obstacle is just a speed bump.

23. START WORKING ON YOUR DREAM TODAY. In the last 10 years I’ve written and independently published 2 books and recorded a 12-song CD with 6 originals. I get exhausted just thinking about the work it took, and I’m not sure I could do it again. WHAT DID I LEARN?

No one ever says they aren’t going to accomplish things important to them, they just put them off one day at a time until it’s too late (quote from unknown source). Just do a little bit at a time, but GET STARTED TODAY, and DO A LITTLE EVERYDAY. In 3 years you’ll either say “I’m so happy I started 3 years ago” or you’ll be in the same place you are today. The time will pass anyway, but tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. GET STARTED.

24. HELP OTHERS, BUT DON’T FORGET YOURSELF.You’re no good to others if you’re not mentally, physically, and spiritually healthy.

25. DON’T COMPLAIN OR CRITICIZE.We all do, but I find the less I do it, the more peaceful I am.

26. LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU SPEND AROUND PEOPLE WHO COMPLAIN OR CRITICIZE.

27. LIFE ISN’T ALWAYS EASY.In fact, sometimes it’s miserable. Work through it and trust that you are gaining skills and knowledge that will serve you and those around you well when you need them the most.

28. THE WEIGHT IS OVER.Like most people, my weight has varied (across about a 20 lb. range) most of my adult life. It’s a never-ending battle, but here’s my 2 cents on losing weight: 1) Snacking is inevitable, so keep healthy food around. 2) When eating out, always leave something on the plate to take home, no matter how small. 3) A little larger portion of protein, a little smaller portion of carbs. 4) Soft drinks are my Achilles, but try to substitute water or tea instead on occasion. 5) Treat yourself every once in a while, and don’t beat yourself up when you do. 6) If you’re eating as a comfort to soothe emotional issues, the last 5 tips are useless. Refer back to life lesson #21.

29. KEEP YOUR PROMISES AND APOLOGIZE QUICKLY WHEN YOU DON’T.Trust is difficult to earn, and easy to lose. Live up to your promises in life and apologize quickly when you don’t – principles that are simple but not easy.

30. NO DRESS REHEARSALS IN LIFE.My cousin Joseph always says, “There are no dress rehearsals in life.” He’s right. This is the real deal. Seize the moment. Live with the intention of ensuring that you’ll have no regrets about things you didn’t try, say, or accomplish in life.

31. BE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR IMPERFECTIONS, YOUR PAST, AND YOUR MISTAKES. Humans are insecure and so afraid of showing our imperfections and struggles. So we put on a facade and hope the world doesn’t see us for who we are. What a shame and oh, the irony. Our flaws are precisely what make us human, and sharing those imperfections and struggles can be the greatest source of comfort to others. Forgive yourself and stop beating yourself up over your decisions from the past. Until you learn to love yourself, you won’t find satisfaction from anyone or anything else.

32. GET BACK IN THE RING. KEEP PUNCHING.When life beats you down, just keep answering the bell. If you just keep swinging in life, you will eventually land a few knockout punches, guaranteed.

33. CELEBRATE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS.Sometimes we’re so focused on the next goal, the daunting task ahead, and the challenges confronting us that we forget how much we’ve accomplished. Make a list and reflect on occasion. It will give you the energy you need to press on toward your next success.

Work

34. NEVER STOP LEARNING. Pay for training if you need it. Read a book. Watch how-to videos. It’s never been easier to find learning resources. Your employer owes you nothing but the paycheck for services rendered.

35. FIND YOUR “ELEMENT” IN LIFE.When you are in your “Element,” work energizes you. When you are not, work drains the life out of you. Find the work and activities in life that put you in your Element and pursue them relentlessly. The world doesn’t need another miserable nine-to-fiver. (See the book The Element by Sir Ken Robinson or anything else he’s written, said, or done)

36. FIND PEOPLE WHO ARE SUCCESSFULand who have the skills and attitudes you hope to attain and hang around them, talk to them, or just read about them. It’s a cliché, but you can’t learn to fly with the eagles by hanging around with turkeys.

37. PASSION + APTITUDE + VOCATION = SUCCESS. There are things you love to do, things in life you’re good at, and things that you can earn a living doing. If you find something that fits in all 3 categories, you’ve hit the jackpot.

38. PUT IN THE WORK.Choose a vocation that you find rewarding, but understand that not every hour of every day is an exercise in self-actualization and fulfillment. Sometimes you just have to do grunt work and make sacrifices until you’re valuable to your company and your customers.

39. LUCK = PREPARATION + OPPORTUNITY. Luck happens at the intersection of preparation and opportunity. People who complain about other people who are lucky wouldn’t know an opportunity if it hit them in the head and haven’t done anything to be able to capitalize on it anyway.

40. FOCUS AND FINISH. Multi-tasking is a fallacy and a buzz word. I’m much more productive when I focus, don’t get distracted from the task at hand, and see it through to completion.

Lifestyle

41. OWN A DOG.No creature spreads happiness so generously and unconditionally.

42. MUSIC IS MAGICAL.Playing and listening to music can be as spiritual an experience as there is on earth, and the benefits are immeasurable.

44. NEW ORLEANS IS A TREASURE. With all of its flaws and quirks, New Orleans and its people are among the greatest treasures in the world. I’m thankful everyday to live in the midst of such a unique setting and population. The resilience demonstrated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is a source of immense pride.

Spirituality

45. GOD BLESSES THE WORKING MAN. There are people who wake up every day and do real work – physical, exhausting, demanding work in sometimes extreme conditions over long hours for less money than they deserve so that the rest of us can enjoy life’s creature comforts. God bless them all. And if they get to cut in line at the Pearly Gates and get better seats than me at Heaven’s Auditorium, well they’ve earned it.

46. PRAY FOR STRENGTH, NOT FOR ANSWERS.This one comes from Mother Theresa. If you’re not a spiritual person, read it anyway. You can still learn from those who are:

“I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now I pray that he will guide me to do whatever I’m supposed to do, what I can do. I used to pray for answers, but now I’m praying for strength. I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things.”

~ Mother Teresa

When All is Said and Done…

47. YOUR LIFE IS YOUR OWN.When you’re on your deathbed the only person who has to be happy with the life you’ve chosen and the decisions you’ve made is you. People-pleasing for their reasons and not yours is a recipe for misery.

48. IT’S THE SMALL ACTIONS THAT MAKE A LARGE LIFE. In life, everyone wants to accomplish something on a grand scale to achieve a certain level of recognition, fame, or immortality. But when it’s all said and done, your life is more a collection of millions of small moments and actions. The sum of your actions during those moments and the impact you have on the world and others – That’s your legacy.

Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies of all time because it illustrates that principle so well. Do the best you can each and every moment, be the best person you can be in whatever small way you can, and each action is a ripple that becomes a wave of goodwill.

49. SHARE WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED WITH OTHERS.If you’ve lived on this planet for a couple of decades or more, you’ve learned something valuable that can benefit others. Life would be better in a world full of educators. Share your knowledge and experience generously before it’s too late.

50. IN THE END, “THE LOVE YOU TAKE IS EQUAL TO THE LOVE YOU MAKE.”(Lennon/McCartney).

I know that Music Education Advocacy is a challenging battle. Sometimes when a boxer takes enough beatings, it’s tough to get up off of the stool to go another round. But we all know how important that fight is. So here’s a thought to simplify that effort. You really only need to answer 3 questions to be effective in music and arts education advocacy efforts:

1. What do you care about?

I know that the music teachers, advocates, and musicians who follow this blog and connect through social media care about music education. Their love for music and their commitment to their craft are impressive and sincere. No problem there.

2. Would anybody know it if they met you?

Here’s where many advocates fall short. I’ve spent most of my professional career in sales and sales management. One of the simplest definitions I’ve ever heard of sales came from Brian Tracy – Sales is the transfer of enthusiasm from the buyer to the seller.

When I lectured to music teachers during the promotional tour for my book Everything We Needed to Know About Business, We Learned Playing Music, I perceived a sense of resignation – a belief that the 2nd tier status that music education has generally been assigned relative to other subjects is a given – that the battle has been lost. Not so fast.

It would be a shame if we lost the enthusiasm for our argument just when the odds are turning in our favor. As we’ve discussed previously, the instances of reports and research from credible new sources regarding the connection between music education and career success continue to grow at an encouraging rate. That certainly was not the case 5 years ago when the book was published. Link to Web Articles

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: Graduating Music Educators enter their careers armed with the reality that the sensitivities and skillsets of the artist are increasingly in demand in the workplace, even in traditionally “left-brain” industries and careers (well articulated by such author/speakers as Daniel Pink, John Kao, and Sir Ken Robinson).

But it won’t happen without passion – passion that is perceivable from the outside. There’s always another priority, and generally one that’s worthwhile, that will compete for music and arts education funding if you don’t speak up and let your voice be heard.

Don’t let past disappointment get you down. It’s a new day in education and in the workplace.

3. What are you willing to do about it?

There’s a wonderful collection of Music Education advocates sharing information and resources online and on social media. Too often, however, we’re preaching to the choir. Again using an analogy from my sales, you can only get so much mileage from existing customers. Yes it’s easier to talk to them and you rarely experience rejection, but eventually, you need to pick up the phone and make a few cold calls.

We need to take the fight to those who aren’t inclined to see things our way. In Nov. 2013, I helped assemble and moderate a panel of business leaders in the New Orleans community who are also advocates of music education based on the role it played in their lives and careers. Former U.S. Attorney Jim Letten was asked by a music teacher what she should do at her school to garner support, he instructed her to “assemble a panel like this” for your parents, faculty, and your community.

Keep tabs on your former music students in the community. Engage them, and have them engage others – people who can make a difference – especially those who need to be enlightened.

Developing an innovative spirit in the workplace doesn’t require extraordinary measures. Managers can experiment with simple ideas that merely break routines, allowing your employees permission to drop the façade that we all don to some degree when we punch the clock. Here are a few ideas that will help you lighten things up for your staff and get their creative juices flowing, if you have the courage to take the leap:

1. Dart Board
Start every staff meeting by allowing everyone a shot at the dart board. Best shot gets to kick off the meeting, appoint the moderator, or tell what they did over the weekend. Starts things off on a playful note and gets your people out of their chairs. For safety purposes, stick with the magnetic or Velcro variety.

2. Colored Markers for the Flip Chart
Sounds simple, but we are programmed from an early age to correlate the amalgamation of colors with the awakening of our imaginations. If you need further evidence of this phenomenon, observe a classroom full of first graders the next time a teacher instructs them to put away their math books and take out their crayons. And experts agree that the key to creativity lies in the ability to awaken the child inside each of us.

3. Music Creativity
Ask each team member to write a 4-line verse to a song that relates to their job duties, hobbies, business ideas, etc. Go around the room and ask them to sing, rap, or simply recite (military cadence perhaps) their verse. Print the compilation in the next company newsletter to get a little PR for your department or office (others in the organization might want to transfer in when they realize that you’ve given your staff permission to have fun).

4. Music Creativity II
Ask your staff to bring in a CD with a song that describes their personality, work attitude, or how their weekend went. Play excerpts before the meeting for a laugh.

5. To Serve Mankind
Ask your staff to convey what they did over the weekend that was a service to another person, charitable organization, or noble cause. Vote to determine whose action was most heroic and award a gift certificate to the winner, let them leave work early on Friday, or take a longer than usual lunch break. This will encourage your staff to think of new ways to develop a sense of community. It will also help your people feel good about their co-workers, get to know them better, and give them a sense of pride in the organization.

6. Vocabulary Expansion
Ask your team to bring a rarely used or obscure word to the next meeting. Have them use it in a context that is applicable to your business.

7. Memory Exercise
Read a list of 10 or 15 things, preferably something related to your business, your industry, or to a customer and give an award to the person who can commit the most items to memory. This exercise can help your staff become more familiar with your organization and with your customers. Memory development is also a key to developing new customer relationships that will help your business prosper.

8. “If I Ran This Place…”
Ask your staff what they would consider the ideal job, the ideal workplace, and the ideal location. You can’t transform your place into utopia, but you might gain some insight into feasible, marginal changes that will improve things. Now that you have them thinking without barriers, ask them what they would do first or different if they ran the company, office, or department. This one takes some courage and is not without risk, but you’ll be surprised by the answers.

9. Show and Tell
Have your staff bring something that they’ve created, that they are proud of, or from their childhood that the group would find interesting or funny. Demonstrate an interesting or unusual talent, perhaps. We loved this game when we were in kindergarten, and for some reason they made us stop playing as we got older.

10. Top 10 Lists
Until David Letterman decides to pursue intellectual property infringement, go ahead and try this one. Give a topic at your staff meeting, and ask for the answers the following week. Remember to keep it clean and non-offensive. Have your staff rank the answers and use a point system to determine the winner.

We would never ask our employees for quality without offering the resources, direction, systems, and commitment to develop procedures that ensure improvement in that area. Yet we ask employees for creativity or to “think outside the box” all of the time without giving another thought as to how to initiate the creative process. Take the first step and give your staff permission to shake things up a bit at your office. You’re likely to see some changes – for the better!

Looking for more CEOs and Business Leaders to get on board the arts advocacy train. Any high-ranking CEOs and executives willing to support the following simple statement will be acknowledged here:

“We support funding of arts education as core subjects in our educational institutions. The 21st century workplace requires innovative and creative minds, and arts education is a critical component in the development of the skills necessary to compete in a global marketplace.

“Our employees with a diverse education have increased their value to our companies, our economy, our culture, and themselves.”